Various types of dispensing devices may be accordingly adapted to dispense pourable material such as granular or like material, liquid, or any other pourable items, that may be associated with from beverage, seasoning powder to soap. It should also be noted that the mechanism presents therein, if possible, might also be extended for use in other dispensable items such as candy, tablets, sugar cube, and etc. Such dispensing devices, particularly those intended for pourable material such as the granular or like material, liquid and any other pourable items has been associated with some disadvantages that are particularly of interest of the present invention.
Granular or like materials such as sugar, creamer, coffee powder, seasoning powder, granulated salt, chili powder and etc. are required to be kept in an airtight condition and hence pre-packaged. Furthermore, the need to transport the supply of such materials in a package has also led to the usage of the convenient container that is provided with closure such as a screw cap, a snap-on cover, or etc.
Apart from that, there has also appeared a need for a dispensing device that can store the said material in the same container and that at the same time can conveniently dispense the said materials from the container. As a result, a dispensing device that can satisfy the above-mentioned needs has conventionally been devised. Although the conventional dispensing devices are viewed as can satisfy the above-mentioned needs, there still appear certain drawbacks that are of immense concern to the suppliers of dispensable packaged goods.
It has been a mutual practice that a supplier would provide the dispensing machines, for the said goods, to the vendors in good faith and in return, the vendors would purchase the packaged goods only from the supplier and sell the goods to the end consumers as contracted. However, there have been numerous occurrences where the vendors illicitly attempt to adapt competitor's package to be dispensed using their contracted suppliers' dispensing devices without their suppliers' consent.
The conventional dispensing machine, as in most cases, at the dispensing part is typically comprised of a dispensing stand, a detachable dispensing applicator and a product container. A user would usually be required to fasten the goods' container to the dispensing applicator and insert the assembly into the stand. Since the containers are typically of the screw-cap type, it is therefore usual that the screw thread formed at the neck of the container is prudently received at the mouth of said applicator. As such, it is apparent that there is no security system that is present in these conventional machines to prevent the user/vendor from refilling the container with a competitor's product and dispensing the product with the supplier's machines. In addition, there also exists another problem where the user may adapt a competitor's container filled with a competitor's product to the said dispensing device, since the said screw thread at the container is of a standard design. With that, it is more inevitable that the user may repetitiously be attempting the above for unlimited usages.
One such dispensing machine is of the subject of the patent document no. GB 1,024,287 which describes a dispenser for dispensing serve-sized quantities of powdered coffee, sugar and other powdered or granular ingredients of beverages. The dispenser is provided, for a fluent material, e.g. powdered, coffee, milk, tea or sugar, comprising a container, a material outlet neck extending downwardly from said container, a butterfly valve in said neck comprising a spindle piercing the neck and valve vane thereon, and valve operating means adapted to shift said butterfly valve rapidly from one closed position through an intermediate open position to another closed position. However, there is no mention of any mechanism that can overcome the problems as afore-mentioned.
Also in the same subject is of Edward (G.B. Pat. No. 1,488,372), which describes a dispenser for dispensing predetermined amounts of particulate or granular material such as sugar, coffee, and etc. The dispenser is comprised of a bucket valve with a base, sidewalls and a partition defining a pair of metering chambers, the valve being pivoted on a spindle to empty either of the chambers. The valve can be tilted by a lever connected to a knob. A latching mechanism is also provided if the dispenser is used in a coin operated mechanism. This dispenser also has no mechanism to prevent adaptation of a competitor's package into the said applicator.
As a result, the suppliers are left at such an inexorable position. As a preventive measure; the suppliers of concern are constantly required to be arduously vigilant of these vendors' interminable attempts. The constant monitor, in the long run, would cause a lot of unnecessary losses to the suppliers. Despite the dire efforts performed at the supplier's end, it has not been still met with a satisfactory result. Therefore, a dispensing device that can eliminate the afore-mentioned drawbacks is very much needed.